Hair drier



y My 1953 A G HUPP 2,6459%;

HAIR DRIER Filed May 29, 1950 f? Sheets -shaet l IN V EN TOR.

ae asm a Jufiy 1 4 11.9535

A. G. HUPP mm DRIER Filed May 29, 1950 INVENTOR.

fillarn Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to hair driers and more particularly to light portable hair driers well adapted for domestic use in the home.

An object of this invention is to provide a hair drier that can be manufactured cheaply and by highly economical molding operations.

A further object is to provide a hair drier having parts so shaped as to lend themselves to inexpensive, mass-production methods of fabrication.

Another object is to provide a hair drier having elements which are more readily assembled.

Another object is to provide a hair drier in which the heating element and its closely associated parts are so mounted a to avoid transfer of heat to adjacent surfaces.

Another object is to provide for molding of the casing of a hair drier from relatively inexpensive synthetic materials and for protecting the same from deterioration from heat in use.

A further object is to provide a hair drier adapted to effectively dry a womans hair without causing the circulated drying air to wipe across the users face and forehead causing discomfort.

A further object is to provide a hair drier that is adapted to eiiect comparatively uniform final drying of the hair to prevent a portion of the hair from prematurely becoming completely dried thereby creating a region of discomfort while other hair is being finally dried.

Another object is to provide a light, compact drier that is easily handled and readily stored as required by the space limitation of a home.

Another object is to provide a drier that may be readily aihxed to a door, chair or other existing support making unnecessary the handling of an awkward standard or other special supporting structure.

Another object is to provide a drier that can be separated from the head by a simple short pivotal movement which permits the user to withdraw from the apparatus with a minimum of effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hair drier that can be economically formed almost exclusively of non-conducting materials which render the device highly safe without the necessity of special insulating elements.

These and other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter in connection with the following description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the hair drier in use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially centrally of the drying chamber and looking toward the air supply chamber;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally of the two chambers;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the mounting of the motor and of the heating element and guard screen;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the heating element taken on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the clamp support; and

Fig. 8 is a detail section of the clamp takenthrough the pivot.

Referring to the drawings, the drier comprises a casing having upper and lower members i and 2 which are separable along a substantially horizontal longitudinally extending plane.

Upper casing member I comprises a forward, somewhat cup-shaped hood section 3, rearwardly extending throat portion 4 'of reduced dimensions and a rearmost motor housing portion 5 of slightly larger dimensions than the throat portion 4.

Lower casing member 2 comprises a forward rim-shaped lower hood portion 6, and throat and motor housing portions 1 and 8, respectively, which are formed substantially complementary to throat and housing portions i and 5 of upper casing member I.

Casing members i and 2 have formed along their joining peripheries, cooperating tongue 9 and groove iii, respectively, whereby they may be tightly fitted together.

The upper and lower members I and 2 are conveniently molded of a synthetic or natural plastic or resin and are suitably joined together along the edge portions 9 and [0.

Upon assembly of members I and 2, the members serve to provide a large inverted inwardly rimmed bowl-shaped drying chamber ii and a smaller air supply chamber [2 at one end thereof and communicating with the drying chamber through the circular throat provided by portions 4 and l.

The drying chamber I l is formed by hood portions 3 and 6, the latter having a large opening I3 in the lower side of member 2 for receiving the head of a user with the hair of the head disposed within the drying chamber, as shown in Figure 1.

The air supply chamber I2 is formed by portions and. 8 of members i and 2, and houses the motor I l and impeller l5 which forces air through the throat and into chamber 5 l.

Air is drawn to within the drier through suitable number of intake apertures l6 provided in the side walls of the air supply char ber l2.

Electric motor I4 is secured to a supporting bracket ll having transversely extending flanges It by which the bracket is supported at the joining edges of the upper and lower casing members I and 2.

Upon assembly, bracket flanges 88 are held in receiver recesses is) formed in the inner shoulder which defines the groove iii of the parting of lower casing 2. Recesses I3 tightly confine flanges I8 when tongue 9 and groove ill are joined as the casing halves are fitted together.

Fan impeller is supported by the shaft of motor [4 and is centrally directed toward the throat between chambers !2.

The forced draft created by impeller :5 passes through as well as around an electric resistance heating unit to disposed in the passage defined by upper and lower throat portions 4 and l of the casing.

Heating unit Eli comprises an asbestos enclosure tube 2!, a cruciform frame 22 mounted within tube 2!, a series of resistance wire windings 5:3 supported by the frame 22, and a guard screen 2 mounted across the forward end of tube El.

The rear portion of frame 22 is carried by vertical arm 25 having oppositely flanged extending portions secured to asbestos tube ill by rivets 25.

A forward support for frame 22 is provided. by laterally depending arms 2i which are secured to tube 2! by screws 28 and to the horizontal portion of frame 22 by screws 29. Screws 2t serve as electrical terminals to receive the opposite ends of the resistance wire comprising winding element 23. Electrical current is conducted to and from the heating unit through screws 28, the arms 2'! serving to conduct current between screws 28 and 29.

Guard screen 2313 is secured across the forward end of asbestos tube 2! by an annularly flanged retaining ring 38.

Heating element 2c is supported upon. a w're 3| which is secured to and extends forwardly of the motor supporting bracket H. The forward ends of wire 3| are formed with inwardly con-- verging offset portions that seat in longitudinal grooves formed in the forward portion of asbestos tube 2!. Wire 3| extends to the forward edge of tube 2! and is held in place by screen retaining ring 3!].

Heating unit 26 is so supported as to prevent excessive transfer of heat by radiation, convection, or conduction to the casing members i and 2, thereby making it possible to form the casing members of comparatively low cost synthetic plastic material having only normal heat strength characteristics. strength rapidly at 212 degrees Fahrenheit and preferably should not be subjected to heat exceeding 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat escaping through asbestos tube 2! is immediately carried away by air traveling around as well as through the tube, the air thereby shielding the casing members against heat radiation. The only direct route of heat conduction to the casing is through wire 3| and motor bracket H. the disposition of the ends of wire 3! directly Such material generally loses However,

4 within the air stream from impeller i5 effectively minimizes such heat conduction.

To facilitate interchangeable mounting of the drier, a mounting arm 32 is formed integral with the lower casing member 2 to extend rearwardly therefrom. As illustrated, arm 32 has a T-uhaped transverse section.

Mounting arm 32 is pivotally secured to a supporting clamp 33 by pivot pin 34 extending through the shank of its T-shaped body.

The portion of clamp 33 embracing mounting arm 32 is U-shaped in cross-section to provide a horizontal web against which the arm 32 will abut to limit its downward pivotal movement P about pin 34.

Rearwardly of mounting arm clamp 33 is bifurcated to provide two vertically extending arms 35 having slightly diverging ends (it to facilitate their disposal about the vertical edge of a door or other support. Formed integral with arms 35, slightly to the rear of mounting arm 32, are two in-turned legs 31. Legs 37 are adapted to engage the edge of a vertical support to properly space the mounting arm 3?. and the drier therefrom to assure clearance of the drier during pivotal movement.

Clamp 33 is tightened about its support by a draw bolt 38 and hand lever 39 disposed between the mounting arm 32 and the in-turned legs 37.

The tightening action of bolt 38 also draws the U-shaped portion of clamp 33 and the shank of mounting arm 3?. into frictional engagement thus permitting a user of the drier to readily tilt the same to adjust the elevation of the hood 6 and the angle of air projection without removing the head from hood 6.

The innesurfaces of arms 35 and legs 3"! are lined with a rubber member 40 to protect the door edge or other support upon which they are clamped.

For home use, the mounting means illustrated is thought to be greatly superior to having a separate stand for support of the drier. Home driers which employ the latter have been found to be very awkward and cumbersome to store or set up for use.

Directly above the normal head position within the drier and slightly forwardly thereof, the upper hood portion 3 of casing member l is provided with a plurality of exhaust apertures 41.

Air is drawn by impeller 15 to within the casing through intake apertures l6 and is propelled past heating unit 29 and first strikes the hair at the back of a womans head where the air separates and travels across the top of the head and about the sides thereof.

The forward rim of the lower hood 5 is formed so as to direct the air abreast of the forehead upwardly toward exhaust apertures 45.

As a result of introducing the air from the rear of the head and due to the hood structure described, little if any of the air wipes downwardly across the face to cause discomfort.

Since a womans hair is normally thickest at the rear of her head, the air initially introduced behind the head will, upon first contacting such hair concentration, become partially saturated with moisture before other thinner areas of hair are encountered.

The air having thus become partially saturated, has less drying effect upon thinner portions of hair growth until the rear thickness of hair has become substantially dry.

The introduction of air from the rear of the head in the-manner described thus tends to prevent thin areas of hair from drying prematurely to then become a source of discomfort.

The electrical circuit for the drier comprises two line conductors 42 and 43 which enter the rear of casing member 2 through an aperture 44 formed therein and connect with the drier circuit through connecting caps 45.

Motor [4 is connected between caps 45 by leads 46. The heating unit 20 is connected between caps 45 by leads 41 joined to the terminal screws 28 of the heating unit. Leads 41 are kept taut to prevent interference with impeller by clips 48 securing the leads to the supporting wire 3! adjacent asbestos tube 21.

Heating unit 20 is in series with switch 49, interposed in one of the leads 41, whereby the heating unit 213 may be turned off while the motor !4 and fan impeller l5 may continue to operate. Members I4 and i5 continue to'operate so long as the line conductors 42 and 43 are energized by connection withan electrical outlet.

Switch as is threaded into an aperture in the bottom of lower casing 2 and includes thumb control knob 50.

The casin members I and 2 are preferably formed of a non-conducting thermo-setting plastic for reduced weight, safety and economy of production.

The halved construction whereby the casing is separable along a substantially horizontal and central plane makes possible the forming of the casing by two relatively simple die molding operations. As described, all apertures and receiver recesses in the casing members can be formed in the initial molding operation. No reentrant angles are present to interfere with die molding.

Such a construction further greatly facilitates assembly of the motor, impeller, heating unit and protective screen as a unit which is then set into the lower casing 2 prior to the assembly of the upper casing l therewith. The electrical wiring is similarly readily connected before assembling the upper member I upon the lower member 2.

The drier is light and extremely portable and may be manufactured with a minimum of expense and labor.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 1

1. In a hair drier having a fan unit and heating element; a casing therefor formed in halves which may be separated along a parting line in a plane substantially common with its longitudinal axis and comprising, a hood portion with a bottom opening to fit about a persons head, a throat portion disposed rearwardly of the head to enclose the said heating element, an air supply chamber to enclose the said fan unit disposed rearward of and in communication with said throat, and means formed in a parting edge of said casing to support and locate the said fan unit and heating element when the halves are in engagement.

2. In a hair drier having a fan unit; a casing therefor formed in halves which may be separated along a parting line in a plane substantially common with its longitudinal axis and comprising, a hood portion formed with a bottom circular rim normally disposed about a persons head closely adjacent to both the forehead and upper portion of the back of the neck, a throat portion disposed rearwardly of the head and inclined slightly downwardly toward the rear to extend substantially parallel with the plane of said circular rim, a housing chamber to enclose the said fan unitdisposed rearwardly of and in communication with said throat whereby air projected by said fan unit is directed by the throat somewhat upwardly towards the back of a persons head, and receiver recesses formed in a parting edge of the casing to support and confine the said fan unit when the casing halves are in engagement.

3. In a hair drier having a fan unit; a casing therefor formed in halves which may be separated along a parting line in a plane substantially horizontal and common with its longitudinal axis to provide a bottom casing section and top casing section and comprising, a hood portion formed with a bottom circular rim normally disposed about a persons head closely adjacent to both the forehead and upper portion of the back of the neck, a throat portion disposed rearwardly of the head and inclined slightly downwardly toward the rear to extend substantially parallel with the plane of said circular rim, a housing chamber to enclose the said fan unit disposed rearwardly of and in communication with said throat whereby air projected by said fan unit is directed by the throat somewhat upwardly towards the back of a persons head, and receiverrecesses formed in a parting edge of the casing to support and confine the said fan unit when the casing halves are in engagement.

4. In a hair drier having a fan unit; a single walled casing therefor formed in halves separated along a parting line in a plane substantially common with its longitudinal axis and comprising, a hood portion with a lower substantially circular rim to be disposed about a persons head closely adjacent to both the forehead and portion of the back of the neck, a housing chamber to enclose said fan unit disposed rearwardly of and slightly below the normal head level and communicating with said hood whereby air projected by said fan unit is directed somewhat upwardly towards the back of a persons head, and cooperating shoulders formed in the adjacent parting edges of the casing halves to hold them in fitting engagement and to provide a support for said fan unit.

5. In a hair drier having an outer casing and a fan unit supported within one end of said casing; a heating element disposed forwardly of said fan unit in said casing adjacent the outlet of said casing, and a heat insulating tubular member axially aligned with said fan unit to enclose and support said heating element, said casing being constructed of a synthetic plastic material subject to injury and loss of strength if exposed directly to radiant heat from said heating element, and said tubular member being disposed to shield the adjacent portion of said casing from radiant heat from said element and fully within the main flow of air discharged from said fan whereby air travels both through and around the tubular member to the outlet in the casing to divert heat from adjacent casing portions.

6. In a hair drier having an outer casing and a fan unit supported by said casing in one end thereof; a wire secured to said fan unit and having ends extending beyond said fan unit and converging forwardly thereof, a heating element disposed forwardly of said fan unit, and a heat insulating tubular member axially aligned with said fan unit to enclose and support said heating element, said casing being constructed of a synthetic plastic material subject to injury and loss of strength if exposed to excessive heating, and said tubular member being supported by the ends of said wires at points directly within the flow of air discharged by said fan unit to prevent the conduction of heat rearwardly through said wires and fan unit to the casing.

7. In a hair drier having an outer casing constructed of a synthetic plastic material subject to injury and loss of strength from excessive heating and formed in halves which may be separated along a parting line in a plane substantially common with its longitudinal axis; a fan and heating unit therefor comprising, an electric motor within one end of said casing and having a drive shaft extending forwardly thereof towards the opposite end of the casing substantially along the longitudinal axis thereof, a mounting bracket for said motor having transversely extending flanges supported in recesses formed in a parting edge of said casing, a fan impeller supported by the shaft of said motor, a wire secured to said mounting bracket and having ends extending beyond said fan impeller and converging forwardly thereof, a heating element disposed forwardly of said fan impeller, and a heat insulating tubular member axially aligned with said fan impeller to enclose and support said heating element and in turn being supported by the ends of said wires whereby air discharged by said impeller travels both through and around the tubular member to divert heat from adjacent casing portions and to prevent its conduction rearwardly through said wires and motor mounting bracket to the casing.

8. A hair drier. comprising a hood enclosure with a lower substantially circular rim to be disposed about a persons head, a fan enclosure disposed rearwardly of and slightly below the normal head level and communicating with said hood whereby air is projected somewhat upwardly to first contact the rear thickness of hair to absorb moisture therefrom and prevent thinner areas or" hair subsequently contacted from drying prematurely and causing discomfort, a mounting member of substantially T-shaped cross-section extending real-wardly from said fan enclosure, a substantially cl1annel-shaped member pivotally secured to the shank of said mounting member space the same from the drier and assure clearance of the latter during pivotal movement, and means disposed between the rear end of said mounting member and flange members to draw said arms tightly about the support and to hold said channel member in frictional engagement with the shank of said mounting member whereby a user may readily tilt the drier to a plurality of pivotal positions relative to said support to adjust the direction of air projection towards the rear thickness of hair without the necessity of changing the vertical position of the said arms upon the support.

9. In a hair drier having a mounting member of substantially T-shaped cross-section extending rearwardly therefrom; a clamp for adjustably securing said drier to a narrow upright support comprising, a substantially channel-shaped member pivotally secured to the shank of said mounting member with its web disposed below said shank to limit the pivotal movement thereof, two vertically disposed arms laterally spaced apart and extending rearwardly of said channel-shaped member to embrace the opposite sides of said support, opposed flange members extending inwardly from said arms to provide an abutment for the narrow edge of said support to space the same from the drier and assure clearance of the latter during pivotal movement, and means disposed between the rear end of said mounting member and flange members to draw said arms tightly about the support and to hold said channel-shaped member in frictional engagement with the shank of said mounting member whereby a user may readily tilt the drier to a plurality of pivotal positions relative to said upright support.

ARLEIGH GLYNN HUPP'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 600,642 Hartman Mar. 15, 1898 625,944 White et al May 30, 1899 1,790,283 Pickard Jan. 27, 1931 1,931,965 Ravlin Oct. 24, 1933 1,967,713 Kelley July 24, 1934 1,982,255 Knoll Nov. 27, 1934 2,025,172 Martin Dec. 24, 1935 2,041,687 Benson May 26, 1936 2,051,833 Ehrlich Aug. 25, 1936 2,227,262 Kleine Dec. 31, 1940 2,278,854 Hunsicker Apr. 7, 1942 2,281,993 Pritchard May 5, 1942 2,466,915 Shields Apr. 12, 1949 2,472,873 Woodrum June 14, 1949 2,496,232 Potter Jan. 31, 1950 2,523,915 Murphy Sept. 26, 1950 

